Editorial: New Jersey road rage bill should be made into law

This week will mark the seventh anniversary of the day that changed a young Hamilton woman’s life forever.

On March, 23, 2005, Jessica Rogers, a student at Hamilton High West, was a back-seat passenger in a car whose driver became infuriated after being cut off by another driver. He drove along the shoulder in order to catch up with the vehicle that had cut him off. The vehicle slammed into a telephone pole.

Rogers, who was paralyzed from the chest down in the accident, has undergone 26 surgeries in those seven years.

Driver Daniel Robbins Jr., who was sentenced to six months in prison and five years’ probation for assault by auto, served four months in jail.

Last week, state lawmakers passed what is known as Jessica Rogers’ Law, a statute mandating stiffer sentences to drivers fired by road rage. In some cases, that could mean three to five years in jail and a fine up of to $15,000.

“Any driver who allows their rage to control their actions behind the wheel essentially turns their vehicle into a deadly weapon,” says Assembly Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton). “A simple slap on the wrist or ticket can no longer do.”

And the occasions of road rage, says Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro), are becoming more common in the traffic-congested state of New Jersey.

We live in a time when reckless confrontation is too often the first resort. When rash behavior jeopardizes the safety of passengers or other motorists, New Jersey must be clear that such behavior will have serious consequences.

The Legislature did the right thing in passing this legislation. We urge the governor to sign it into law.